No adjustment in water level: Meghalaya mine

Shillong, Jan 3 The multi-agency operations to rescue the miners in Meghalaya failed to make any headway on Thursday, with efforts to pump the water out of the mine not yielding any result.

The jumpers of the Navy and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were not ready to continue the look activity for the 15 trapped miners as they couldn't go inside because of the high water level.

Asked if the divers would take another chance later in the day, activity representative R Susngi told that they would wait, however there was a remote chance of the water level reducing so soon.

The 15 miners remain trapped in the 370-foot-deep illegal rat-hole coal mine in Lumthari village of East Jaintia Hills region since December 13 after water from an adjacent waterway spouted in. The activity to rescue them entered the 22nd day on Thursday.

Fire Service personnel from Odisha resumed work at 10 am and it was found that the water level has risen again, an after a long time pumping resulted in it receding by 16 inches, Susngi said.

One more pump will be put to use at the mine on Thursday and another would will be introduced at a deserted mine, around 100 meters away, he said.

Meanwhile, the high-powered submersible pump from Coal India is yet to start work, three days after it landed at the site. Planning is as yet proceeding to get the pump operational, Susngi said.

The representative had said jumpers would continue task once the water level at the primary shaft diminishes to around 100 feet from its flow dimension of more than 160 feet.

Authorities said there were at least 90 abandoned mine shafts in the area and they were full of water. Rescuers believe that these nearby mines may be interconnected and draining out water in these mines could help in reducing the water level in the main shaft.